


Finding the Right Word

by World_Of_Pure_Imagination



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Double Trouble (mentioned) - Freeform, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence, Muteness, Mutual Pining, POV Rogelio, Rogelio needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/World_Of_Pure_Imagination/pseuds/World_Of_Pure_Imagination
Summary: (This is an AU post-Season 3. May contain spoilers)After what Catra nearly cost them during her stunt with the portal, Rogelio eagerly joined Kyle and their friend Lonnie in defecting from the Horde. However, as they make their way to Bright Moon to join the Rebellion, Kyle injured, and they hope they can get She-Ra in time to have him healed before it's too late.ORRogelio can't help but wonder what the right word to describe his and Kyle's relationship is.
Relationships: Adora & Rogelio (She-Ra), Bow & Kyle & Lonnie & Rogelio (She-Ra), Kyle & Rogelio (She-Ra), Kyle/Rogelio (She-Ra)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 295
Collections: Shera





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, this is another story. And yes, I'm also a huge fan of She-Ra and want to see more Kyle/Rogelio stories both on AO3 and in canon. Let's hope there'll me more of them together in Season 5!

“Keep moving, Kyle!” Lonnie shouted over the sound of shuffling and broken twigs beneath their boots. “C’mon, we can’t stop now!”

“I-I’m trying!” he cried.

“Move it, soldier!” she grunted. “We need to get through this before Catra or Hordak realize we’re gone! C’mon, Kyle!”

“For Horde’s sake, I’m going as fast as I can—wah!” 

Before Kyle could tumble over into the dirt, his reptilian companion grabbed the ash blonde boy’s hand and yanked him back to his feet, not pausing in their quick strides through the trees and fallen branches. 

“T-Thanks, Rogelio!” he half-mumbled, half-shouted. 

Rogelio merely replied by tightening his grip on Kyle’s smaller hand. To anyone else who met the (former) Horde soldier, they wouldn’t know the hidden meaning behind this simple gesture. The lizard-man knew that Kyle understood what it meant though: keep by my side. The Whispering Woods are dangerous, and I don’t want to lose you. 

A few days had passed since Catra activated the portal machine and temporarily plunged the Fright Zone into quantum uncertainty. He willed himself not to think about it too much, the feeling of nothing he, Kyle and Lonnie shared when that…white light…engulfed them from existence. Then, but some miracle, they were all pulled back. She-Ra and her Rebellion fighters got away in the end, but it didn’t matter to Rogelio now that Lonnie and Kyle were back. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he lost either of them.

_Especially Kyle_ , he told himself.

When he heard that it was Force Captain Catra who was responsible for the portal’s activation, who, according to Lord Hordak himself, knew the device wasn’t fully tested, that was when Rogelio started to really question his place in the Horde. 

Granted, the quiet lizard-man had always seen behind the lies and propaganda they spewed to him and his fellow cadets. The only one who seemed to believe it all at face-value was Adora before she abandoned them. However, the night after they all nearly lost everything, Lonnie gathered him and Kyle to tell them what Force Captain Scorpia told her about Entrapta. The Princess wasn’t a traitor. 

After the initial shock faded away, Lonnie wanted to discuss…defecting from the Horde. 

In the end, Rogelio didn’t need much to be convinced after what Catra nearly cost him with her stunt, all just to spite Adora. The only reason he stayed was for his friends. And Kyle, who seemed reluctant about the idea at first. Yet the moment the boy locked eyes with him, Rogelio could see the fear flash behind his retinas. The fear of nearly losing each other, when Catra turned the portal on and nearly destroyed all of Etheria in the process. 

“How…How far do you think we are from Bright Moon?”

“No idea,” Lonnie replied to Kyle. “Rogelio, where are we?”

Slowing down with his friend to stand by a nearby tree, he pulled the tablet from his backpack and growled. Snarling shortly, Rogelio shook his head and tossed the tablet back into his backpack. 

“I’ll take it we’re lost then,” Kyle sighed. “Maybe we should go back, guys?”

“Kyle, didn’t you listen to what Scorpia said to us about Entrapta?” Lonnie glared at her friend, who still held onto Rogelio’s hand for dear life. “She wasn’t helping the Rebellion. She was trying to warn Lord Hordak about what would happen! And did you see the mad look in Catra’s eye when we confronted her about it?”

_Since they were still somewhat uncertain about Scorpia’s claims, Rogelio silently followed Lonnie and Kyle to see Catra once she came back from a mission in the Crimson Waste. The moment Lonnie finished her sentence, they all saw the dark, angry eyes in the feline’s eyes. The same that resembled Shadow Weaver._

__

__

_“You’re all Horde soldiers!” she shouted at them. “You don’t question my orders!”_

_“Catra,” Lonnie replied back, “we weren’t—”_

_“That’s FORCE CAPTAIN to you, CADET!” she pushed the human girl against a locker, “The same goes to you all, Rogelio, Kyle. Any of you ever MENTION this to me or to Lord Hordak again, I will make sure you three get to join Entrapta on Beast Island! Got it?”_

_Rogelio, Kyle and Lonnie all silently nodded, and watched their former friend waltz off to speak to a tailed person with green skin, blonde hair, a black suit and pointed ears. And before the door closed, they witnessed said stranger transform…into an exact replica of Catra._

_They had to defect to the Rebellion. Before she caused more destruction._

Now here they were, running through the Whispering Woods after their skiff ran out of fuel. Besides the essentials, the trio only brought with them their most prized of possessions. Lonnie took her favorite retractable fighting staff from the armory. Kyle brought the small arts and crafts kit he secretly collected since they were kids. 

As for Rogelio, he brought the ball and cup toy he used to play with when they were children. Secretly though, he also carried the photo of Kyle in his uniform pocket. No matter what, the reptile couldn’t leave it behind in his locker for the Horde to destroy once they realized he turned traitor.

Unlike Lonnie, Adora before she defected, or even Catra before she turned spiteful, Kyle had been the person Rogelio was closest too since they were children. At some point during their teenaged years, the ash blonde human had professed how much he cared for him. They didn’t have a word for it back in the Horde, but Rogelio hoped they would find one to describe what his and Kyle’s relationship could be best defined as. It wasn’t the kind of friendship one held for a fellow soldier, or just a best friend. 

Rogelio simply couldn’t figure out the word. Maybe the Rebellion had a definition for these feelings he and Kyle had?

SNAP!

“What the heck…?” Lonnie muttered, “Guys, did you hear—”

Suddenly, a monstrous insect of the Whispering Woods appeared out of nowhere, and the trio went into battle. Rogelio used his brute force to attack the creature’s weak points while Lonnie used her speed to overwhelm it. Kyle meekly stood on the sidelines, wanting to help but knowing they more than had this handled. 

If Rogelio had been paying attention throughout though, he would’ve noticed the second insect lunging for his back, talons ready. Unfortunately, as he and Lonnie were distracted by the first creature in front of them, Kyle saw the second creature first. 

And he acted. “Rogelio!!”

Rogelio swung around to see the insect. And Kyle, pushing his reptilian companion out of the way of the insect’s predatory path. Time seemed to slow down for Rogelio while Lonnie, though aware of what happened, could only continue distracting the first insect. Yet Rogelio saw it all. The insect’s talons biting into Kyle’s left midriff, the blood spurting from the boy’s stomach, the anguish etched into his pained voice, and the way his slim body fell limp.

Rogelio roared in absolute rage.

Blacking out for a few minutes, the well-built lizard-man, heaving in deep breaths with bared fangs, awakened to a grisly sight before him. Lonnie had already sent the first insect scurrying off to tend to its injuries, but nothing remained of the second insect after what the lizard-man did. Parts of it were torn here and there, his scaly fingers and claws remained drenched in purple blood. 

“Oh, gosh, no…no, no, no…” Lonnie mumbled nearby, her voice strained. “Kyle!”

Rogelio turned around fast to find his nightmares come to life. 

“Kyle, stay with us!” Lonnie pleaded, holding the pale boy in her lap while her reptilian friend immediately fished out a first aide kit. “Kyle, please stay with us!”  
He struggled keeping his eyes fluttered open. “S…S…Sor…Sorry, Lonnie…Rogel…Roge…”

“Kyle, I order you to stay awake, right now!” Lonnie barked. “Just do it!”

As cautiously as they could, Rogelio and Lonnie used all of the bandages to keep him from bleeding out, but it wasn’t enough. Even if Kyle hadn’t already lost a significant amount of blood, there was something…infecting him. His wound was growing worse too.

“We must go to Bright Moon,” Rogelio used sign language to communicate with Lonnie, “They can do something. Adora will heal Kyle with her princess magic.”

“They’ll imprison us for being part of the Horde though,” she argued with him and herself, her normally calm demeanor now in shambles. “What if Adora’s friends refuse to treat Kyle?”

Rogelio snarled, signing to her, “I will make them.”

Admittedly, Rogelio knew what the outcome of defecting to the Rebellion would entail. He, Lonnie and Kyle were Horde soldiers after all. They helped Lord Hordak’s armies conquer parts of Etheria, assisted in capturing and destroying countless innocent villages, and held Princess Glimmer—now Queen of Bright Moon, according to sources—against her will alongside this ‘Bow’ that Kyle befriended when the Rebellion archer was their prisoner. 

Seeing Kyle injured though, in pain and bloodied all over…so long as they healed him, Rogelio would take whatever punishment the Rebellion gave them. Without another thought, the hulking lizard-man carefully picked a half-unconscious Kyle up into his arms (he ignored it being bridal style), one hand on the back of the blonde’s head, and motioned for Lonnie to ride on his strong back.

Without another word, Rogelio ran.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rogelio carries Lonnie and an injured Kyle to Bright Moon.

At long last, Rogelio could spot a structure in the distance, past the trees. It was the same castle and tower with a Runestone he’d seen countless times; in the field, in battle, in aerial photographs and surveillance. Always guarded and well defended, with his past intent always having been to see it in ruins, but no longer.

The Kingdom of Bright Moon. 

None of them were allowed to enjoy the place’s tranquil beauty, not for long. As Rogelio carried Kyle in his arms and Lonnie on his back across the shallow waters encircling the palace, they were aware the guards had noticed the trio approaching. As well as the uniforms they wore. 

“Horde soldiers!” one of the guards shouted. “Inform Queen Glimmer we have intruders!”

Seconds later and Bright Moon royal guards surrounded them. Lonnie gratefully jumped from Rogelio’s back and raised their hands in the air. Rogelio would have done the same if he weren’t holding his half-dead companion. 

“Listen, we aren’t part of the Horde anymore!” Lonnie pleaded to them. “We need to see She-Ra or Adora of whatever she’s going by these days!”

“Don’t take another step!” the lead guard pointed her spear at them. 

“Please, we just need someone to fix Kyle up!”

“Just don’t make any sudden movements and we won’t be forced to take drastic action, alright?” the lead guard motioned for three soldiers to stand behind the trio. “Now follow us.”

While Lonnie was forced to reluctantly surrender her training staff, Rogelio carried Kyle into what he presumed to be the palace’s royal court chamber. It was as spacious and beautiful as the rest of the castle’s interiors, save for steps that led to a throne floating in the air. However, its rightful owner wasn’t sitting in it. Instead, the short, pink-haired princess-turned-queen stood surrounded by the other princesses, some human with a bare midriff and quiver filled to the brim with arrows, and…

“Adora!” Lonnie called out, trying to walk to her only to be stopped by the guards. 

“Lonnie?!” she gasped, flinching for her sword only to pause. “Wait, Rogelio? Kyle too? They’re the Horde defectors?”

Everyone, including the members of the Princess Alliance, either inhaled with disbelief, covered their mouths or formed one of their elemental weapons. Particularly the younger ice princesses, who eyed Lonnie with discontentment. Oh, right…that infiltration of Princess Prom.

“What are they doing here?” Queen Glimmer demanded. 

“Your Majesty,” the head guard marched forward to them and explained, “they just stepped out of the Whispering Woods minutes ago and surrendered to us. They claim to have defected from the Horde and one of them is heavily injured.”

Rogelio steadily stepped forward to show Kyle laying pale limp in his arms, clutching his bloodily bandaged side and struggling to keep his eyes open. Despite remaining hopeful, the reptilian expected (and had been raised to receive from the Princess Alliance) only brutality. As such, he prepared himself to defend his human to the bitter breath. 

But then…

“Why didn’t you lead with that first?” Adora ran over to them to inspect Kyle, who flinched at the unfamiliar touch of someone other than Rogelio. “Oh my gosh, he’s lost a lot of blood...”

“Can you heal him or something?” Lonnie asked carefully. “We were making our way through the Woods when an insect…thing, attacked us. Kyle got hurt, and now he’s…”

Rogelio held the boy even firmer, his yellow eyes pleading to Adora for answers.

“I can try to heal him as She-Ra,” she mentioned, “but we’re gonna need more than the Sword of Protection for this one. He needs to regain his strength…”

“Guards! Bring him to the infirmary at once. Make sure she gets whatever she asks for,” Queen Glimmer ordered, then pointed to three other ones standing nearby, “You three escort the prisoners to the dungeon. Make sure they don’t leave your sights!”

“Dungeon, Queen Glimmer?”

“Ugh,” she groaned in annoyance. “The extra room on the second floor!”

They all nodded in unison. “Yes, your Majesty!”

Rogelio growled when the guards struggled to snatch Kyle away from his grasp. He would’ve bitten one of their arms off if it weren’t for Adora, who told the large reptile, “It’s okay, Rogelio, just please give him to me. I…I know I left you all behind in the Fright Zone, but I promise I won’t let Kyle die.”

If only he could tell her he now fully understood why she abandoned them. If only he could ask her why he should trust her. Instead, all he could do was reluctantly allow Bow and the other princesses to gently carry the boy down a neighboring corridor. 

“You seriously don’t got a dungeon or prison around here?” Lonnie asked the guards as they were escorted down a hallway. “What kind of Rebellion is this?”

The sound of Adora shouting ‘For the honor of Grayskull!’—whatever that meant—could be heard deeper in the castle, as well as a bright light be noticed, but the guards did not react at all.

“Quiet,” one of them spoke in a low, formal tone. “And keep moving, Horde soldier.”

Huffing at the rude remark, she did just that while Rogelio clenched his clawed fists together. He did not like leaving Kyle all alone with the princesses. He hoped Adora would keep her word and heal the human. Yet he didn’t have a choice. 

They were brought to a very…well-furnished room. Not only were there no shackles or torture devices to be seen, unless one counted the overwhelming scent of lavender emitting from an automatic air freshener, but the doors opposite led to a balcony garden overlooking the kingdom. 

“THIS is their dungeon?” Lonnie gaped at how spacious and bright and comfy everything looked, letting herself lay back on a nearby sofa cushion. “Jeez, I don’t think even Hordak’s Sanctum’s this comfortable…Do you Rogelio?”

“It is very,” he couldn’t find the right word, “…pink.”

To Bright Moon’s credit, their security was not as sub-par as they initially believed. Two guards remained stationed outside their locked door, while the princesses cast a spell that placed an invisible force field over the balcony. Lonnie had attempted tossing a rock over the ledge, and it immediately bounced back into her hand. Any escape would be irrelevant anyway. 

Rogelio tried everything to keep his mind focused on everything else. From walking out into the garden (where he washed his hands clean in a fountain) to practicing sparring on his own, it wasn’t enough. While Lonnie rested, he tried falling asleep on the all-too-comfortable furniture. He tried playing with the ball and cup toy for several minutes, only to constantly remember Kyle’s laughter from when they were younger. 

_“Ninety-six, ninety- seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine!” he giggled, then awed when the cup missed its intended target. “You almost got it. Do it again, Rogelio!”_

_He remembered grumbling in slight defeat, curling his tail along the metal floor._

_“C’mon, Rogelio! You can break your record! You never give up on anything!”_

Rogelio’s grip on the cup nearly cracked it. 

The sun had set hours ago, and Lonnie still hadn’t finished sleeping (or snoring) on her ‘bed’. So why hadn’t Adora or her friends informed them of Kyle’s status yet? Was he alright? Was he dying? 

The fear of that last possibility made Rogelio suddenly snarl and grip the cushions beneath him until feathers escaped through the small tears. 

At long last, he heard the doors creak open, revealing…the archer. Bow, he remembered.

“Hey there,” he peeked his head in, then entered before closing the door behind him. “So, you’re awake. That’s…good.”

Rogelio narrowed his eyes at the human, who seemed to grow tenser from the short distance. Bow then glanced over to Lonnie, who continued to snore despite his presence. She really hadn’t gotten much sleep since their defection, the lizard-man noted. 

“So, uh…Adora and Glimmer wanted me to check up on you two,” he spoke up in a soft whisper. “I’m, uh…glad you’re making yourselves comfortable then.”

“Are prisoners supposed to be comfortable?” Rogelio signed to him. “Can you tell me how Kyle is doing? Is he okay?”

To his surprise, the human named Bow did not understand him. He only raised an eyebrow at the weird hand signals the reptilian soldier was making at him.

“Are you…trying to tell me something?” 

Rogelio huffed in frustration. Reaching into his uniform’s pocket, which made Bow instinctively grab one of his arrows, then stop, the lizard-man pulled out a photo showing a smiling Kyle. He pointed to the right side of his ribs, then a clawed finger to the photo.

Bow looked closer, then widened his eyes.

“Oh! Kyle? He is doing fine,” the human explained. “She-Ra healed his wound up real good, and most of it is thanks to the bandaging you two gave him.”

“Can we see him?” Rogelio signed to him. 

“What’re you saying?” Bow asked again.

Before Rogelio had the opportunity to growl at the fact that the Rebellion archer couldn’t even understand him, Lonnie finally stirred awake. 

“Great to know Kyle ain’t dead,” she yawned, sitting up. “If ya see Adora again, tell her…thanks.”

“No prob then,” Bow nodded, awkwardly looking back at the reptilian lizard-man once more with uncertainty. “So, uh…do you understand what he’s telling me?”

“Rogelio doesn’t talk like us,” she explained between yawns, blinking awake and stretching her arms out. “He can understand us, but all you’ll get out of the big guy are hissing sounds. Use sign language.”

“Uh…” he tensed. “I don’t know sign language…”

“Oh, for…” Lonnie whipped her head up. “Seriously? They don’t teach this kinda thing in the Rebellion? That’s just sad…”

“Hey, it’s not my fault!” the other human raised his hands defensively. “I know a bit of First Ones’ language, but that’s about it.”

Rogelio growled, signing what he asked earlier one more time.

“Uh,” the human then looked back up to the silent reptilian soldier. “What’s Rogelio telling me then?”

“He’s asking if we can go see Kyle yet,” Lonnie answered for him a couple seconds later. “Well, can we, arrow guy? I wanna bop him over the head for making us worry like this.”

“I’m so, so, so sorry, but you can’t,” Bow apologized to them. “Ya see, on top of you being prisoners, the poor guy needs to rest until morning. Don’t worry though, we have Adora keeping guard and making sure his vitals don’t drop!”

Rogelio let out a few snarls and hisses before signing a few coherent sentences to Bow.

“What did he just say to me?” 

“Ya really don’t wanna know,” Lonnie snarked. 

“Well, I’m very sorry, but it’s the Queen’s orders,” he told them both, backing up to the door. “I understand you want to see your friend soon, but you just need to wait until morning, alright?”

“Tch, whatever.” Lonnie muttered, “Just get out of here before I let Rogelio bite your head off, arrow boy…”

The human named Bow graciously did just that, leaving the teenaged lizard-man to growl and sink his claws into the partly torn couch he used as a bed. Lonnie let out her own anger by punching the plaster wall before laying back on her own sofa. As much as they each hated it, they knew the only way to make the morning come faster was a good night’s sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to emotionally torture you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rogelio and Lonnie wake up to experience Bright Moon's hospitality, while our favorite lizard finally finds the word he's been searching for that defines what he has with Kyle.

Rogelio did not sleep well that night. He relived the sequence of events that led to Kyle’s grave injury from the day before, and what he could have tried to prevent it. He woke up more than once over the course of seven hours, until finally, he remains asleep until someone steadily rapped at the door. 

“Morning, sleepyheads!” came a cheerful voice. “Awaken to a beautiful day and a new, wondrous life ahead of you!”

“Perfuma, don’t talk like that!” came another, much younger voice. “They’re from the Horde!”

“They WERE from the Horde, Frosta!”

“C’mon, guys, just head inside, okay?”

The door creaked open, and Rogelio blinked at the sudden sweet smell overwhelming his nostrils. This barefoot princess with pink flowers in her hair was carrying two plates in front of her, while the shorter princess held a spear entirely made of ice and Bow nervously smiled at him. Lonnie also stirred awake at the delicious food. 

“Mmm. Ya smell that too, Rogelio?” she rubbed her eyes. When they landed on the other occupants, Lonnie suddenly became more awake. “What the heck’s that you’re holding?”

Perfuma smiled. “I made you all my special pancakes,” the pink-dressed princess cheered, “Fresh out of the oven for you to enjoy!”

Whatever these ‘pancakes’ were, the heat and flavored taste certainly beat whatever the Horde put inside of their ration bars. Rogelio dug all the way into his second layer by the time Lonnie meekly tried a bite, only to go at the same speed. None of them realized how truly hungry they were until they chewed on the warm pancakes, mixed with this sticky liquid called ‘syrup’, as Bow explained.

“Wow, I haven’t seen someone this amazed by food since Adora first tried that festival snack in Thaymor,” he commented amusedly. 

Perfuma giggled. “I told you this was my best recipe.”

Rogelio perked a scaly ear at the mention of Adora. Had she felt this sense of fulfillment when she defected? Was she greeted by this same caution, then hospitality?

“Oh, and here,” Bow remembered, handing the large lizard-man a notepad and pencil. “I thought this would make things easier if Lonnie isn’t around.”

“The way I see it,” she spoke mid-bite, “that’s gonna be rare, since ya won’t let us see Kyle.”

“Oh, don’t worry, we will,” Bow assured them. 

“Queen Glimmer only wants to ask you some questions first,” Frosta added. 

“It will only be a few minutes,” Perfume clapped her hands together, “and then we will be on our way to the infirmary to see your friend.”

A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Adora accompanying a wary Queen Glimmer. In battle, Rogelio had seen the former princess during combat. Despite her impulsive, sometimes childish outbursts, he knew where to recognize power when he saw it. And she could use her teleporting abilities in creative ways that would’ve benefited the Horde…had she switched places with Scorpia. Then again, Rogelio did not even want to think about how much her magic would’ve benefited Lord Hordak.

“Good morning, you two.”

“Mmm,” Lonnie finished the rest of her plate, some of the ‘syrup’ off her cheek. “You must be the new queen of Bright Moon. Sorry we didn’t formally introduce ourselves, Your Majesty.”

“Can we see Kyle now?” Rogelio wrote on the notepad, then presented it to their captors. 

“First, we need to ask you some questions,” Adora answered. “I’m really sorry, you guys, but Glimmer won’t let you leave otherwise…”

As much as Rogelio knew she was being sincere, it still maddened him, nonetheless. 

Queen Glimmer tried to seem unfazed by their concern. “Tell us, why are you here?”

“What do you think we ventured all this way through the Whispering Woods on foot?!” Lonnie gave an obvious answer. “We defected from the Horde! As in, we deserted. Abandoned. Revolted. Quit. Uh…let’s see…”

“How about ‘absconded’?” Bow suggested meekly. 

“Dunno about that, but thanks, arrow guy!”

“Uh,” he sweated awkwardly, “it’s ‘Bow’, actually…”

“Anyway,” Queen Glimmer interrupted, sounding even more irritated. “Why did you defect the Horde anyway? How many times have you two fought us and Adora at this point?”

“Um…” Lonnie scratched her cheek, feeling sheepish at the question. “Uh, I dunno, like…three…four times?”

Rogelio wrote down his response. “Exactly nine times.”

“Not helpful!” Lonnie groaned, “Okay, what’s the next dumb question? Because we’ll tell ya anything if you let us see Kyle. For heck’s sake, Rogelio’s claws are shaking!”

The lizard-man realized it and held his hand with his other, to prevent it from trembling even more. 

“Wow,” Perfuma commented, “you…really want to see your friend, don’t you?”

Rogelio spoke nothing. 

“Listen, Glimmer,” Adora placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder, “why don’t we stave off the interrogating for later? It’s not like they can escape anyway.”

“Adora…”

“If Adora trusts them, then I trust them,” Bow nudged himself into the conversation. “Besides, she’s right, Glimmer. Where else will they go when we have an army surrounding the palace?”

Glimmer clenched her gloved fists, giving Rogelio and Lonnie one final, momentary glare. “Alright then…but if either of you two try anything funny—”

“We won’t,” Lonnie crossed her arms. “Neither will Rogelio, so long as Kyle’s fine.”

The tension in the air quickly melted away the closer they walked towards Bright Moon’s infirmary. As they passed by a mural at one point depicting the fallen Queen Angella, Rogelio noted how Glimmer forced herself not to even glance at it. And the way her lips quivered, probably at the thought of her responsibilities as a monarch. Or at how much she missed her mother. 

Rogelio never knew who his parents were, having been found as an orphan by the Horde near the borders of the Crimson Waste. Same for Kyle and Lonnie, Adora, Catra and countless other babies who either lost their families to the Horde or were left to die by them. He honestly couldn’t imagine the idea of having a father or mother out there, growing up under their wing only to lose them one day to an unknown enemy. That fear alone compelled the lizard-man to act in battle in order to protect his current family. Kyle more so. 

Speaking of which, they arrived in the room at long last. Inside lay a long row of several empty hospital beds, each one separated by a curtain divider. And laying down in one of them rested a handsome young man with matted, ash blonde hair and tired bags under his resting eyes.

Despite the ice princess standing beside him with the spear, Rogelio did not hesitate to kneel beside the bed and tenderly hold the exhausted, sleeping boy’s hand. Immense relief washed off the lizard-man’s broad shoulders. 

As Adora explained how she stopped the infection with her healing powers, letting Kyle catch up on some needed sleep in the process, all Rogelio could focus on was the sight of his…friend (no, something more?), now safe and sound, steadily breathing in a soft bed and blanket. Away from the Horde, Catra’s toxic leadership and Hordak’s tyranny. 

“So, you know Kyle then?” Adora asked Bow.

“He and I talked a bit while Glimmer and I were captured by the Horde,” he half-laughed. “Sea Hawk…kinda threw him away from the door when you rescued me.”  


“Sea Hawk?” Lonnie pondered, then narrowed her eyes after realizing, “Wait, ya mean that mustachioed dude who rammed that flaming ship into our hull back in Salineas? The pirate-wannabe that always shouts ‘adventure’?”

Bow laughed awkwardly. “Y-Yeah, that one…” 

“Actually, that reminds me,” Glimmer remembered, “Adora, we need to have that meeting with the other princesses soon about strengthening our defenses in key villages outside the Whispering Woods.”

“Almost forgot about that,” Frosta melted her spear. “We better get going, Perfuma, before Mermista gets bored and Sea Hawk sings one of those shanties again.”

“Aww,” Perfuma moaned. “Do we have to leave our new friends so soon?”

_Friends?_ Rogelio wondered. _She considers us friends, already?_

“Right,” Adora nodded. “Bow, can you keep an eye on them and make sure they stay out of trouble until Kyle comes back?”

“That’s what I was gonna say, Adora,” Glimmer turned to her friend. “Be careful, and report if anything happens, okay?” 

“Hey!” Lonnie complained, having sat down on an empty bed beside Kyle’s, “How many time do I have to tell you, we won’t do anything! We. Defected. From. The Horde. How hard is that to grasp?”

“You still came from the Horde, nevertheless,” Queen Glimmer pointed her out. “And you will tell us everything we want to know. Later though. Come on, girls. Let’s go.”

Rogelio didn’t look back to see Glimmer and the princesses leave the infirmary. He was too busy watching Kyle’s chest rise and fall, feeling the young man’s warm hands entwined in his scaly digits. He did smell and hear Bow shift behind him.

“You…really care about him, don’t you?” he asked. “From what little time I knew Kyle, he seemed like a nice person. I can see why you would like him that way…”

“He is endearing,” Rogelio absentmindedly signed to him using his free hand, which Lonnie translated for the aptly named archer. “Always optimistic and kind.”

“Adora told me she knew you as kids,” Bow listened to ‘Rogelio’ speak. “The few times she told us about the Fright Zone, and mentioned you guys—”

“Adora mentioned us?” Lonnie interrupted. 

“Why, yeah,” he laughed. “She does. Well, sometimes. She, uh…kinda stopped being nostalgic though, after what Catra did with the whole portal weirdness thing.”

“Can’t say I blame her,” Lonnie remarked. “None of us can.”

“So then,” Bow asked after a moment of silence, “Rogelio…is it true that you’ve always stood by and protected Kyle whenever you trained together?”

“Whenever I can,” he replied, leaning back to sit beside Bow on the neighboring empty bed, still staring at Kyle. “I cannot be there for him all the time, but I still try.”

“You must be very close…”

“Very,” Rogelio signed again. “Kyle and I have been close since childhood. Kyle never belonged in the Horde, but I remained for his sake. He is compassionate, loyal, brave in the face of danger… smart too…I always find him reading a new book from the Horde’s library between missions.” 

The Lizard-man unknowingly smiled, which caught Lonnie and Bow’s attention. 

“He is no soldier,” he continued to sign, “but Kyle is a wonderful person. I think you can say he and I are more than just comrades. We are…We…are…”

Why could he not figure out the right word to describe themselves?

“…boyfriends?” Bow finished for his new reptilian friend.

“Boyfriends?” Rogelio asked.

“Yeah,” Lonnie asked, “What the heck is that?”

“Wha…you don’t know what boyfriends or girlfriends are?” Bow suddenly sounded shocked and disheartened at the same time, looking at the confused former cadets like they were the most clueless people in the world. “That is…very, very sad. Uh…ya see…a boyfriend is…well, a boy you’re interested in. You’re in a romantic relationship, and want to spend time together, do everything together, basically. A girlfriend is essentially the same if she’s a girl. You two have seriously never heard of this before?”

“We grew up in the Horde,” Lonnie defended themselves. “We never had pancakes, syrup or even seen color like the ones in Bright Moon until now, arrow guy.”

“I keep telling you, it’s Bow!”

“What parent names their children that?”

“Hey, I like my name!”

Rogelio remained in deep thought as Bow and Lonnie bickered playfully in the background. ‘Boyfriends’? Was that what he and Kyle were? It would certainly make sense given how much time they spent together and the secrets they shared. He knew about Kyle’s dreams about painting Etheria’s beautiful landscapes before they were destroyed, and the ash blonde boy knew of Rogelio’s desire to explore those same landscapes. They always confided in each other about their innermost struggles, nightmares and daydreams. 

Only Lonnie knew, but during the winter months, they would also sleep together in a single bunk, with Kyle curled up alongside Rogelio into a ball beneath the blankets. The lizard-man thought back to those winter nights, when he could feel Kyle’s back, smell his pine-tree scent and feel his heartbeat against his gentle hands, and how they cuddled closely for warmth. 

Then there was the time Kyle pressed his nose to his, wishing him luck during a simulation. The optimistic glow in the boy’s face, looking back on it…convinced Rogelio.

They…were boyfriends?

“Nnnnn…Ro…”

Rogelio snapped his head up, and both Bow and Lonnie silenced themselves. 

“Ngh…” Kyle opened his eyes to squint at the lizard-man, who had begun to tear up and smile brighter than before. “Ro…gelio…are we—OH!”

Rogelio jumped up and hurriedly wrapped his arms around the tired young man, never letting go and rubbing his muzzle into his cheek. Surprised at first, Kyle still didn’t hesitate to hug the lizard-man with (almost) equal strength.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter. Whoohoo! 
> 
> Btw, here is my headcanon theme for this fanfic and others like it:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP_ZAczJwmQ
> 
> Long live She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. 
> 
> Long live Kyle/Rogelio! <3

After some persuasion thanks to Bow and Adora, Queen Glimmer graciously allowed Kyle to be moved to the ‘dungeon’ with Rogelio and Lonnie. Knowing he was fine did they finally allow the princesses to ask them questions. They confessed to them everything they knew about the Horde, such as military plans, secret codes, the locations of various hidden Horde bases across Etheria and the like. It wasn’t until they revealed Catra had hired a non-binary shapeshifter, describing their true appearance and how they planned to stir chaos inside the Rebellion, did Queen Glimmer finally believe they officially defected. 

Even so, she still distrustfully looked at them every once in a while. 

Kyle and Bow started talking again, while the former translated for Rogelio. The Rebellion archer and tech master was glad his friend from the Horde had finally left. Especially with his strong boyfriend to protect him in the Whispering Woods. Rogelio silently chided himself that he didn’t protect him, but it did not matter to either of them. They were safe from the Horde, away from Catra and away from Hordak’s presence. 

When Kyle was confused by what a boyfriend was, Bow happily reexplained it. 

“W-W-Wait, Rogelio?” he suddenly paled with fright, “Y-You told him we have an in-inappropriate friendship b-between two soldiers—”

“Woah, woah, take it easy now,” Bow gently patted his shoulder. “There’s no need for you to be ashamed. It’s not unnatural that you have feelings for him, whether you’re two men or two soldiers or anything. It’s okay that you have feelings for each other…”

“It…It is?” Kyle perked up slightly. Still cautious, however. “Y-You’re not going to punish us for…for liking—”

“Why the heck would I? I actually have two dads.”

“Two…dads?”

“Yeah, George and Lance. You would love them. Oh, and you two should definitely meet Princess Spinnerella and Princess Netossa. They’re married and fight for both the Rebellion and each other.”

“Wait, w-where they the girls at the B-Battle of Bright Moon?” Kyle slowly began to stutter less and less. “The ones with the net-tossing powers and air magic?”

“Yeah!” Bow beamed. “If you ever need any relationship advice, they’re perfect. Then again, my dads would be more than happy to meet you two, even if you used to be a part of the Horde.”

While he watched Kyle become entranced with Bow’s description of growing up with two fathers, Rogelio noticed something he hardly saw the boy ever do: smile. Not just that, but he happily laughed and shyly allowed others like the archer to become invested in his opinions and stories. Throughout it all, at some heartwarming point, Kyle absentmindedly moved his hand backwards to wrap around Rogelio’s.

To everyone else, it was a simple act of affection. To them both, it meant: I love you too. 

For the first time in their lives, they slept without a single nightmare.

The next morning, they woke up in each other’s arms, much like during the winter months spent back in the Fright Zone, in the comfortable beds provided to them and Lonnie (who did not complain when she saw her friends lightly kiss before falling asleep).

Speaking of who, she was not in her bed when Rogelio peeked an eye open to the other side of the room. Out on the balcony though, they could both hear the sounds of Lonnie being pelted with questions and treats from the other princesses, where they all thought the duo were still sleeping. Frosta eagerly asked her about some fighting moves she could teach, Perfuma gifted her some new clothes to replace her Horde uniform and Mermista bashfully shared in Lonnie’s overwhelming desire for personal space. Over the giggling and yelps, they also heard the two other princesses. Netossa and Spinerella. No doubt entertained by Lonnie’s attempts to push their ‘hospitality’ away.

Kyle shifted around to look into his reptilian boyfriend’s eyes. “Think we should go help her out, Rogelio?” 

The large lizard-man responded by pulling him closer to his body, curling them back into a spooned ball. 

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled. “A few more minutes then.”

Rogelio, despite wanting to spend more time freely sleeping with Kyle, knew they now had all the time in the world to spend together. As fighters for the Rebellion, as Horde defectors…and as loving boyfriends. 

Yeah, that was the right word.


End file.
